Big Trees Lodge - Victorian Charm for the Modern Traveler

If you have ever wondered what it might have been like for late 19^th century travelers to visit a place that was destined to become a national park, a stay at Big Trees Lodge is a close proximity to that experience.  From your first glimpse of this cluster of inviting, white Victorian structures, you are transported to a time and place when the world moved more slowly and tweeting was literally for the birds.

Big Trees Lodge (formerly known as the Wawona Hotel) is located near the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park on a winding, tree lined highway.  Even the most fearless drivers slow to a near crawl when the trees drop away on the outside curve and you are left staring toward a vista of the distant, hazy blue Sierra Nevada mountains beyond the sheer drop off mere inches from the side of the road.   Mile after mile of hairpin curves, hills and valleys leaves one anxious to reach their destination for a break from the roller coaster that is California Highway 41.

Climbing the steps of the original hotel building with its wide wooden stoop, you are greeted by guests who are already enjoying their evening cocktail seated in the cushioned wicker chairs and sturdy Adirondacks that line one side of the white railed veranda wrapping the stately structure.  Eyeing the sandwich board where dinner specials are posted, you can already imagine yourself sitting down for a gourmet meal in the outdoor dining area that occupies the other half of the porch.

Stepping over the threshold one is struck by the simplicity of the bright and airy lobby with its massive fireplace surrounded by comfortable settees and chairs.  On the coffee table, there is a half-finished jigsaw puzzle being worked by a young couple who only have eyes for each other.  Peeking out from behind the fireplace, the shrouded grand piano foreshadows the evening’s entertainment.  But lest you forget that you are in the wilderness, the chandeliers with their dangling pinecones and hand-painted silhouettes of giant sequoias will remind you that you are surrounded by 1,200 square miles of soaring granite peaks, dense evergreen forests and crystal clear mountain streams plunging into boulder strewn pools hundreds of feet below.

Checking in is a breeze, but if you are expecting a doorman to whisk you off to an elevator for the trip to your room, don’t hold your breath.  The climb up the winding staircase is yet another reminder that you are in the original structure, built in 1865.  Upon reaching the landing, you quickly discover that instead of a hall way with dozens of doors, you are directed back outside to a covered promenade wrapping around the two-story wooden building that has been leading weary travelers to their cozy rooms for well over 150 years.

For reasons that I cannot fathom, I’ve been assigned to what appears to be the biggest room in the entire building.  The door and window of the room is nestled into an inside corner of the balcony, leaving the remainder of the room stretching half-way across the back wing of the hotel.  With its 16’ ceilings and soaring window, the room is bright, airy and spacious. The far wall of the room is dominated by a set of 12’ tall pocket doors that, along with the single door to an adjoining room, would lead you to imagine that this was once part of a suite of rooms where the very special guests would have spent time between strolling the grounds, exploring the park on horseback and enjoying a hearty meal after a day of adventuring.

The room is furnished with antiques and reproductions that further enhance the illusion of a simpler time.  There is more than enough room to accommodate a double bed, a writing desk, an over-stuffed chair and a comfy side-chair positioned next to the tall, marble-topped dresser.  There you’ll found fresh towels, washcloths and even a cozy robe for making that trip across the balcony to the community showers and WCs.  Did I forget to mention that there are no facilities in the rooms?  Well, what do you expect from a building that dates from when Queen Victoria was in her prime?

Having settled your things and checked out the facilities, the grumbling of your stomach leads you back to the lobby to add your name to the waiting list for a table in the dining room.  Upon being seated, you will be struck by the variety on the menu.  Everything from fresh trout to bison burgers is available depending on your mood, along with a daily special that will delight even the most discriminating pallet.  There is even a picnic lunch option for those who are off to explore the wonders of the park.

While the main building of the complex retains the simplicity of travel from a bygone day, the facility is not without its modern conveniences.  The Annex was built in 1920 and features rooms with facilities en suite, many with adjoining rooms that are perfect for families.  For those who simply can’t stand to be completely off the grid, the Lodge offers free wi-fi in the Sun Room, a delightful, wood paneled parlor surrounded on three sides by windows and featuring the prerequisite fireplace to warm the chilly mountain evenings. 

If you are traveling with children, Big Trees Lodge offers several amenities for keeping them occupied and entertained.  The outdoor swimming tank, added in the 1930s, is open from sun-up to sunset and the Thomas Hill Studio serves as both an information center and gift shop along with a museum display of the tools of the trade of the resident landscape artist who built the studio in 1893.  A short hike through the woods brings you to the Pioneer Yosemite History Museum, a collection of historic buildings open throughout the summer for self-guided tours.  Horse-drawn carriages can take the entire family on a tour of the Village and, for the more adventurous, there is also a stable where sure-footed, gently mounts can take you to areas of the park that can only be seen from the back of a horse or on foot.  If golf is more your style, there is a nine-hole course with a Pro Shop. Or, take part in some of the world’s most scenic fishing in the 770 miles of streams that flow year round within the park.

As one who has come to expect outstanding hospitality while visiting the historic lodges of our national parks, Yosemite Hospitality by Aramark truly delivers.  Lodging is available from March through November with a brief winter season from mid-December until just after the New Year.  More information can be found at http://www.travelyosemite.com/lodging/big-trees-lodge/ or call 888-413-8869.   

Big Trees Lodge was the perfect place for me to relax, rejuvenate and re-imagine. 

All Aboard

One of the bucket items I was checking off my list was long-distance train travel.  We have all seen the movies that romanticize the experience - North By Northwest, The Silver Streak, The Orient Express - to name just a few.  This was to be my opportunity to see first hand what extended rail travel would be like.

Over the course of my 15 day train adventure, it became clear to me exactly why Amtrak needs its generous federal subsidies.  Let's just say, the process of getting a ticket and making reservations was less than user-friendly.

I had purchased a USA Rail Pass that would allow me to make a 15 day trip with up to eight different segments.  The price was certainly reasonable, less than $500 for a reserved coach seat.  But, when you factor in the hurdles that I had to jump through, that bargain price soon began to climb in terms of time and effort.

To begin with, when you purchase a USA Rail Pass, you must go to an Amtrak station to have the pass printed.  They will not mail it to you.  You cannot receive it via email or store the information in the "handy" Amtrak app.  I suppose for most people, that is not an unreasonable amount of effort, but given that the station in my city is entirely unmanned, I would have to drive to either Kansas City or Topeka to obtain the pass, only to find out that once I had the pass in my little hot hands, the station agent was not able to make the reservations for me while I stood there at the ticket window. I had to call the 1-800 number.  Hmm ... reservations made at the ticket window... what a concept.

Upon calling to make my reservations, I learned that if I started my trip in Lawrence, Kansas and got on the train at 11:50 pm, that 10 minute time period would count as the first of my 15 days.  Being the highly resourceful and intelligent person that I am, I deduced that if I were to leave from the Topeka station 15 miles and 30 minutes down the road, boarding the train at 12:20 am, I would enjoy the benefit of the full 15 days.  Take that, Amtrak!

"Oh, the coach seats are very comfortable for sleeping,"  my friends said.  "The seats are nice and wide," they said.  "They recline and there is a leg rest that flips up from under your seat," they said.  Well, I thought, I should be able to handle that.  After all, I would be getting off the train every few days to spend several nights in various hotels.  No problem, I said with an optimistic shrug of my shoulders.

All of those things were entirely true.  The seats were nice and wide.  There was no middle seat as there is in most airplanes and you can move around the train to the observation car, the dining car and the snack bar.  It would have been extremely comfortable, if you stood less that 5'6". 

Unfortunately, at 5'10", that is another story entirely.  Suffice it to say that, between my shifting around to try to find a comfortable position, the sub-zero temperature of the rail car and the proximity of the complete strange in the seat beside me, the quality of my sleep was less than stellar.

But that's okay.  I was on the adventure of a lifetime!  I was checking things off my bucket list!  I was gathering first-hand experiences to launch my travel blog!  It would be great!  Besides, there might be that tall, dark, handsome stranger that I would be seated with at dining or encounter in the observation car.  We would strike up a lively conversation, discover that we had loads of things in common and we would make plans to meet on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in exactly one year's time.

Not to burst anyone else's bubble, but the reality was that I was most often seated with old, married couples off to see their grandchildren, widows and divorcees.  Oh, but don't let me forget that generously tattooed, tank top wearing, heavy smoking guy that smelled like an ashtray that they tried to saddle me with.  That's when I vowed to stay out of the dining car for good.

Lest you think the entire experience was a disaster, let me add that lounging around the train for long hours alone with my thoughts while still surrounded by people that I could choose to engage with when I felt like it, watching the passing scenery which was pretty spectacular at times, reflecting on the events of the past year and envisioning the kind of life that I could build for myself moving forward was an integral part of the life-changing adventure that began when I first stepped onto that train.

Truth be told, in spite of everything, I will cherish it always.

Welcome

Following months of turmoil and change in my life, I decided to check some items off my bucket list with a 15 day train trek.  My hope with this trip was to complete the final step in rebooting my life and launching a new future.  My posts will recount some of those adventures and take you along as I embrace the wonders of this brave new world and my journey through it.

I hope you will enjoy my posts and help me grow as a writer, explorer and story teller by providing constructive feedback through the comment section.  If you are enjoying my tales, pass them on to your friends.  Return often for updates on travel plans or send me suggestions for places to explore.

So, pack your bags, grab  your passport and buckle up for the ongoing exploits of Jayna Frella.